Drupal Cache Contexts

Cache contexts define request-dependent cache variations. Analogous to HTTP Vary header.

When to Use

• Content varies by user role or permissions
• Content changes based on URL parameters
• Multi-language sites with localized content
• Theme-dependent rendering
• Preventing cache explosion from overly broad contexts

Available Contexts

Context	Variations	Use Case
user	Per-user (AVOID)	Truly personalized content only
user.roles	Per-role combination	Role-based visibility
user.permissions	Per-permission set	Permission-based content
url.path	Per-path	Path-dependent content
url.query_args:key	Per-parameter	Sort, filter, pagination
languages:language_interface	Per-language	Translated content
theme	Per-theme	Theme-specific rendering
session	Per-session	Session data (triggers placeholder)

Context Hierarchy

user (AVOID - per-user cache explosion)
├── user.is_super_user (2 variations only)
├── user.roles (per role combination)
│   └── user.roles:editor (has specific role?)
└── user.permissions (per permission set)

Rule: Always use the most specific context possible.

Examples

Example 1: Role-Based Content

Input: "I show different content to editors vs anonymous users"

Output:

$build = [
  '#markup' => $this->getRoleBasedContent(),
  '#cache' => [
    'contexts' => ['user.roles'],
  ],
];

Example 2: Per-User Content (Use Sparingly)

Input: "I need to show the user's own profile info"

Output:

// WARNING: Creates cache entry per user - use lazy_builder instead
$build = [
  '#markup' => $user->getDisplayName(),
  '#cache' => [
    'contexts' => ['user'], // High cardinality!
  ],
];

// BETTER: Use lazy builder for per-user content
$build = [
  '#lazy_builder' => ['my_module.lazy:userName', []],
  '#create_placeholder' => TRUE,
];

Example 3: URL Query Parameters

Input: "My listing supports ?sort=date and ?sort=title parameters"

Output:

$sort = \Drupal::request()->query->get('sort', 'date');

$build = [
  '#theme' => 'item_list',
  '#items' => $this->getSortedItems($sort),
  '#cache' => [
    'contexts' => ['url.query_args:sort'],
  ],
];

Example 4: Language-Dependent Content

Input: "I render translated labels in my block"

Output:

$build = [
  '#markup' => $this->t('Welcome'),
  '#cache' => [
    'contexts' => ['languages:language_interface'],
  ],
];

Example 5: Combined Contexts

Input: "Content varies by role AND language"

Output:

$build = [
  '#markup' => $this->getLocalizedRoleContent(),
  '#cache' => [
    'contexts' => [
      'user.roles',
      'languages:language_interface',
    ],
  ],
];

Example 6: Custom Cache Context

Input: "I need to vary cache by a custom HTTP header"

Output:

# my_module.services.yml
services:
  cache_context.custom_header:
    class: Drupal\my_module\Cache\CustomHeaderContext
    arguments: ['@request_stack']
    tags:
      - { name: cache.context }

namespace Drupal\my_module\Cache;

use Drupal\Core\Cache\CacheableMetadata;
use Drupal\Core\Cache\Context\CacheContextInterface;

class CustomHeaderContext implements CacheContextInterface {

  public static function getLabel() {
    return t('Custom header');
  }

  public function getContext() {
    $request = $this->requestStack->getCurrentRequest();
    return $request->headers->get('X-Custom-Header', 'default');
  }

  public function getCacheableMetadata() {
    return new CacheableMetadata();
  }
}

// Usage
$build['#cache']['contexts'][] = 'custom_header';

Example 7: Block with Cache Contexts

Input: "My block shows different actions based on permissions"

Output:

class ActionBlock extends BlockBase {

  public function build() {
    $actions = [];
    if (\Drupal::currentUser()->hasPermission('edit content')) {
      $actions[] = 'Edit';
    }
    return ['#markup' => implode(', ', $actions)];
  }

  public function getCacheContexts() {
    return Cache::mergeContexts(
      parent::getCacheContexts(),
      ['user.permissions']
    );
  }
}

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Impact	Solution
Using user for role checks	Cache explosion (1 entry per user)	Use user.roles
Using session directly	Triggers auto-placeholder	Use lazy builder
Missing context	Same cached content for all variations	Add appropriate context
Too broad context	Unnecessary cache variations	Use most specific context

Auto-Placeholdering

These contexts trigger automatic placeholdering in Dynamic Page Cache:

# services.yml - default conditions
renderer.config:
  auto_placeholder_conditions:
    contexts:
      - 'session'
      - 'user'

Content with these contexts is replaced with a placeholder and rendered separately.

Debugging

# Enable debug headers
$settings['http.response.debug_cacheability_headers'] = TRUE;

# Check applied contexts
curl -sI https://site.com/ | grep X-Drupal-Cache-Contexts
# Output: X-Drupal-Cache-Contexts: languages:language_interface theme url.path user.permissions